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Events
In the spirit of Ohana and giving back to the community, we
periodically hold special events that are open to everyone.
For more information on any of the events listed here and others
please email
info@ikunakoa.com
Announcing our Na `Ōpio (youth) Paddler & Cultural Education Program
Ikuna Koa Outrigger Canoe Club
is proud to announce the addition of our Na `Ōpio (youth)
program for paddlers between the ages of 10-17 years old. This
program is open to the public. If you have keiki’s (children) that are interested in learning about the
Hawaiian Culture and the lore surrounding Outrigger Canoe Paddling,
then this program is a must. Although the Na `Ōpio will have the
exciting opportunity to participate in several Southern California
Outrigger Canoe Association races, this will only be a part of what
this program has to offer. The keiki’s will be participating in a
cultural immersion program where children will learn a great deal
about the Hawaiian culture. To learn more about this unique
program please visit our Na `Ōpio Padder
page. Space is limited so contact us
Today!
Outrigger Canoe Races - See
Race page for entire race season schedule
Ikuna Koa
is very excited about the 2008 racing season. Clubs from all
over Southern California and Arizona participate and compete against
one another in this exciting aquatic sport. Come join us at a
racing event and see for yourself why outrigger canoe racing is one
of the fasting growing aquatic sports in the world today.
2008
Race Schedule:
Upcoming races:
The 2008 racing season is upon us. The first SCORA race of the
season will be the Crystal Pier Ironman located in San Diego's
Mission Bay. Our novice team has moved up to the open division
and the competition will be fierce.
Last year our club concluded the season with an outstanding
performance from our novice team. This racing season took our
crews as far north as Avila Beach for the Pineapple Express race in
San Luis Obispo County and as far south west as Kona Hawaii for the
36th annual Queen Lili`uokalani Outrigger Canoe Race. At every
race our ohana showed their tremendous spirit for the culture and
sport of Outrigger Canoe Racing.
Our hui makes history with
first offical Na `Ōpio hoe!
On
Sunday March 9, 2008 Ikuna Koa Outrigger Canoe Club started its
first ever Na `Ōpio paddler program. Opening day was fantastic!!!
We had three full canoes going out for approximately a 4 mile hoe.
My hats of to our Na `Ōpio paddlers. They are quickly mastering the
skills of the basic
paddle stroke and most of the Hawaiian commands I use in the wa`a.
including the commands for gunnels, set, hit, paddles up, hold
water, back paddle, pull right, pull left, timing, etc. Their
strength in the wa`a today was impressive. I felt the mana of our
na wa`a awaken to the Hawaiian commands of our Na`Ōpio paddlers as
we sailed across ke kai with little effort. It was magic. The
keiki’s were all smiles and one with the wa`a. Harmony was indeed
the spirit of the moment.
We started our practice with a Hawaiian pule (prayer) that all of
the Na`Ōpio will soon be able to recite on their own. We went over
some important cultural topics such as mana, parts of the wa`a, seat
seven, parts of the Hawaiian, hoe, how to hold their hoe,
significance of the ti leaf in the Hawaiian culture, and wa`a
protocol. I also explained to them importance of "inoa" (names) in
the Hawaiian culture. I gave the keiki's a couple of handouts so
they can memorize on their own all of the parts of the Hawaiian wa`a
and hoe. I explained to our keiki's that the ti leaf lei I wore
today and the ti leafs and leis I put on our wa`a are to honor
Kimokeo Kapahulehua (Uncle Bully) the head spiritual kahuna on
Maui
and my cultural mentor. Without his guidance, teachings, and gift of
a complete set of keiki paddles including the steering blade, my
dream of one day building a Na`Ōpio program would have never been
realized.
Next week I will have our keiki's working on a mele oli (a chant
without an instrument) I would like them to learn. I am also going
to demonstrate and explain a ceremony we will do each time before a
significant event such as a race or long paddle to ask permission of
and honor the āina and ke kai (the land and the sea) to allow us
safe passage and bring us safely home while traversing them both in
harmony.
I am excited to share the Hawaiian culture with our Na`Ōpio. They
are the future of hoe wa`a (canoe paddling) and it is important that
they take this knowledge with them to share with others when the
rest of us have all returned to the āina.
Anyway, I would like to say mahalo nui loa for all the kōkua I got
from members of my hui on opening day.
To my Na`Ōpio paddlers I say – Hana hou! (Encore!)
To
all who help perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and spirit of Aloha in
their own way, I say to you -
Malama pono e me ke Akua!
-Coach Gus, ya!
The Ninth Island - Lake Las Vegas Regatta!
Many Hawaiian's call Las
Vegas, Nevada the "Ninth Island" and if you attended this event it
would be abundantly evident why. A mixed plate of kane from
our club participated in the open division of the Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club's Lake
Las Vegas Regatta on October 20th & 21, 2007. Considering
the short amount of time we had to practice
 together
and the competition we faced, I am very proud of our team's effort
in this regatta. As one of the
participants I can tell you I am really looking forward to
participating again next year. The festivities started with a
Friday night luau and was followed by two days of sprint races and
all day long entertainment. Saturday's opening ceremony
naturally included the blowing of the pu, an opening pule, and chant
by Uncle Luki of the Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club. This is
one of the best chant performances I have ever heard either on the
islands or the mainland. I am here to tell you this Uncle has
talent and den some! Las Vegas is so fortunate to
have a Uncle like Uncle Lucki. The non stop
entertainment included many different halau's, and a mixture of
Tahitian and other Polynesian dance troops. There were also various Hawaiian music
groups, and chanters, the talent and the outstanding performances
never let up. There was also a performance by local Native
American dancers, and a Chinese Dance Troop and an
excellent martial arts demonstration. Vendor's where
everywhere with Island apparel with the contagious aloha spirit
radiating in the air.
Many of the local SCORA clubs
participated such as Imua, Newport Outrigger, Marina Del Rey, Kai Ellua,
Arizona Dry
Heat, Lake Havasu City, and Hawaiian nuff said, just to name a few. There were also
several clubs from Hawaii such as Big Island Canoe Club, Kamehameha, Waikiki Yacht Club, and others.
The wahine from the Waikiki Yacht Club numbered into the dozens and
their aloha and orange race jersey's were everywhere.
The canoes were
provided by SCORA's NAC.
Please checkout our Pictures
page to see more pictures of this fantastic event!
One of our Ohana gets Married!
We were all
recently honored to provide our Sistah Stephanie "Aloha - Girl" a
homegrown Hawaiian Style wedding at De Anza Cove on beautiful
Mission Bay. The wedding was com plete
with the Pu (conch) being blown to start the ceremony, some Hula
dancing by our keiki dancers, and a couple of Hawaiian chants
to wish them the best. A double hull canoe was fabricated for
this event and the bride and groom where paddled back to the Mission
Bay Boat & Ski Club where we all enjoyed the reception. The
reception was a fun filled luau with traditional Hawaiian Music,
hula dancing, Hawaiian Food, and later a live band. Please
visit our picture page to see some pic's from this beautiful event.
The Second annual Fundraiser Feast with
Polynesian Entertainment was a hit!
Our second annual Spaghetti Feast with Polynesian entertainment was
another magnificent success. On April 28th, 2007 The
Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club was
 transformed into a tropical
paradise. The club house was decorated with Tiki torches lined
against the walls. Palm leaves, Bird of Paradise leaves, and tea
leafs where everywhere you looked. Island tunes played in the
background to complement the décor-if you didn’t know better - you
thought for certain you were in old Hawaii.
Approximately 200 guests arrived in Aloha attire to participate in
the festivities. The smell of spaghetti noodles and home made
sauces, and garlic bread filled the air. Some of the Spaghetti
sauces were so rich you almost needed a steering blade to stir them.
Some of the pre dinner activities included some history on our
Hawaiian Outrigger Canoes and the canoe culture surrounding the
sport. Some of the guest also participated in land based paddling
lessons.
The dinner line proved to be well worth the wait. The various home
made sauces for the spaghetti noodles were outstanding and people
returning for second servings was a testament to this fact. The
garlic bread and salad were also very popular items. Of course
there was an abundance of deserts including apple pie, brownies, Ki-lime
Pie, and so much more.
What followed next is unforgettable. The first of two videos showed
the team at various races and events from last year. The smiles
were ear-to-ear as it became even more obvious to our audience that
this club is very close and made it clear why we consider each other
ohana. The second video was one produced by our governing body
which is the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association. This
video showed many of the different teams on race day. The teams
shown ranged from San Diego to Santa Barbara and out of states
member clubs including, Arizona and Nevada.
The entertainment provided by our own club members included solo and
group Kane (Men) and Wahine (Women) hula dances. The swaying and
hand motions of the hula dances were hypnotizing. The costumes
designed and fabricated by our club members were beautiful and
strikingly authentic and the level of talent was second to none. We
also had some of the audience participate in some of the dances.
They were having the time of their lives as the crowd applauded
their performance.
Then the conch shell was blown to summon the gods and the men
followed with several Maori war dances known as a peruperu a.k.a
Ha-ka. With their faces and
bodies tattooed like Maori warriors they captured the audience’s
attention and imagination while they took them back to old New
Zealand.
Between
stage performances a raffle was held and many fine gifts were
awarded to those lucky people who purchased raffle tickets. Some of
the gifts included an IPod, Wine
 Glasses, and a beautiful authentic
handmade “Ipu” (gourd drum) which was the grand prize.
The afternoon entertainment concluded with three of our club members
performing a Ukulele Jam on their instruments. The mele’s (Songs)
were soothing to the soul and a great way to end the festivities.
All
of the planning, decorating, and chorography, came together and
ticked like a fine Swiss watch. The spaghetti feast was a wonderful
success due to the terrific efforts of our team members, who pitched
in with their creative and energetic juices to make this a first
rate event and one that all will remember for a long time to come.
Please visit our
Pictures page for more photos of this fantastic event.
Mahalo to all, aloha and a hui ho.
The blessing of our new Wa'a
(Canoe) - Sunday November 12, 2006:
The blessing of our new wa'a "Mahoa", was a traditional and
culturally spiritual event!
The blessing ceremony was performed by Kahuna "Uncle Koko" and
included ancient Hawaiian chants and prayers. The blessing
ceremony was followed by a traditional
Hawaiian Luau with Hula dancing performed by Kumu "Aunti Barbara's"
Halau O'
Pualani. The witnesses included our team members and special guests
from other clubs and their ohana. We are all proud to have Mahoa as
the newest member of our Ohana.
Everyone worked very hard to make this event very special. We hope you enjoy the pictures of our ceremony and celebration.
This was truly a magical moment for all of us. Ikuna Koa
Outrigger Canoe Club would like to extend a giant mahalo to Uncle
Koko for blessing our new canoe. We would also like to say
mahalo to kumu Aunti Barbara and all of the Wahine and Kane from
Halau O' Pualani for their
excellent hula and Tahitian dance performance. Our
"Pictures" page describes
this event better than
words ever could. Mahalo to all of those who attended and those that
wanted to but were not able to.
End of Season Party - October
20, 2006
The end of Season party was a great success. Most of the team
attended including some of the malihini's to the team in the last
few weeks. Everyone was talking story and the grinds were
da'Kine. The SCORA CD depicting the sport of Outrigger Canoe history
and how it made its way to California was well produced and a great
movie to watch. The 2006 Montage produced by Jaymee Carvajal
was also outstanding and memorable. The jam session by or
talented team mates really added to the evenings festive atmosphere.
The three awards that were announced last night and well deserved
went to following team members in the following categories.
Most Dedicated Member: Marc "Hapa" Hammer
Most Aloha Spirit:
Stephanie "Aloha" Grubbe
Most Improved Paddler: Jason "You Da Man" Hoisington
We would like to give a giant mahalo
to all of those who contributed to planning and producing this
event. We are proud to have Bruddah's and Sistah's like you in
our Ohana. Aloha nui loa!
Kona Hawaii- Queen Lili' Race
2006
The Queen Lili'uokalani
Long-Distance Outrigger Canoe Race is the worlds largest
outrigger canoe race. This year marked the 35th anniversary of this
event. The race was once again sponsored by the "The Big
Island's" Kai'opua Canoe Club. Teams from around
 the world
arrived in Kailua - Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii to compete and
participate in the festivities. Our club participated in
the 18 mile race with two women and one men's team. The
18-mile long Ironman race took place on Saturday September 2, 2006
and was followed by a 6-mile tandem outrigger canoe race on Sunday
September 3, 2006. An award Ceremony, Luau, and torchlight
parade of paddlers followed the canoe races. Our
Kona pictures page tell the story of the event. Please
enjoy them an share them with your friends and Ohana.
Newsletter - download the
inaugural issue of our club "Newsletter"
Ikuna Koa
is proud to present our first ever club newsletter. We think
you will find this newsletter very informative with regards to some
past and current events surrounding the club. So without
further ado, download your copy today and share its aloha spirit
with friends and family.
High Tech High School Hoe (Paddle)
On March 14, 2008 twelve Student's who are studying ancient
Polynesian culture at
 Point
Loma's High Tech High School, got some hands on experience with the
culture to augment their classroom studies. We covered the
Hawaiian names for various parts of the Hawaiian Canoe and paddle.
We also explained some Hawaiian history and various cultural aspects
of the Hawaiian outrigger canoe. We then gave a quick course
in the basic paddle stroke, canoe safety, and the Hawaiian commands
used in the canoe. Afterward, we went for a paddle that the students
really enjoyed. If you'd like more information about this
event or you would like us to consider hosting a similar event for
your organization,
please email
info@ikunakoa.com.
Disabled Vet Paddler Program
Hawaiian Adaptive Outrigger Canoe Program - The Mission Bay
outrigger clubs and the San Diego Adaptive Sports Foundation have
joined together to start the first ever  Southern California Adaptive Paddler Program for disabled military returning from Iraq and
Afghanistan, disabled Veterans and disabled members of the
community.
With guidance from the Wounded Warriors Program and DS/USA from New
York, as well as the support of Balboa Naval Medical Center, the
program was launched on Feb 9, 2007, with 10 Marines who recently
returned from the war. As you can see from the picture, they were
"into it" from the start. If you'd like more information, or to be a
sponsor of this terrific program,
please email
info@ikunakoa.com.
SD Blind Ski Program
The SD Blind Ski Program takes sight impaired kids and adults out on
the bay for water skiing, or boat rides. There are several of these
every summer, and the paddlers help by pitching in to cook and serve
them in a luncheon feast after a morning on the water. 2007 dates
will be available soon.
Spina
Bifida Annual Picnic
The annual picnic for the Spina Bifida
Association of Greater San Diego was held on Sunday July 23, 2006.
Once again, this proved to be a very rewarding experiance for those
paddlers in the club who volunteered to help with the event.
Kids with Spina Bfida and their families where welcome guests in our
outrigger canoes. The smiles where contagious and the joy was
endless.
Outrigger Classes open to the
public:
When: Please call for date of our
next scheduled class
Where: Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club
Time: 9am and 11am
Whether you're looking for a new
fitness routine...more play time on our ocean...or new friends and
acquaintances...join us at the Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club to learn
more about the island-rich traditions of outrigger canoe paddling!
- No Experience necessary
- We offer experience, step-by-step training and coaching so
that you're having fun on the water immediately.
- Fast fitness, endurance and
strength building - Paddling will help you get out of a rut
or help you cross-train for other sports.
- Weekly practices - We offer
practices three-days a week with active Ikuna Koa paddlers.
- Saturday races and fun in
the sun - Race season begins in May and involves nearly
1,000 paddlers along the entire Southern California coast!
- Regular Club social
activities - Ikuna Koa has regular club get-togethers and
social activities throughout the year.
- Hawaii trip - Optional
travel to the worlds largest outrigger canoe race in Kona,
Hawaii.
Come join us on
the water!
Directions to the Mission Bay Boat & Ski Club will be emailed to you
with your reservation confirmation. Reservations are required
to don't delay, please register for this fun and exciting class by
emailing:
info@ikunakoa.com |
